


you need someone (to pick you back up)

by romantasha



Category: Agent Carter (TV), Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Caring, Daisy just needs someone to care for her, F/M, Fluff, Hand-Wrapping, Soft Sousa, not in a dirty way
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-26
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25538443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romantasha/pseuds/romantasha
Summary: "There, all done," Sousa says quietly. He lets go of her hands and takes an appropriate step back. "Next time you go running into those brick walls — ""You'll pick me back up, I know."-In which Daisy is hurt and alone, and then Sousa walks in. Somewhat speculative of 7x10.
Relationships: Skye | Daisy Johnson/Daniel Sousa
Comments: 44
Kudos: 347





	you need someone (to pick you back up)

**Author's Note:**

> My hand slipped and a 2k word one-shot was written.
> 
> This is a somewhat speculative fic of 7x10. Daisy hasn't been wearing her gauntlets all season and it looks like from the promo footage we saw, she gets into a pretty big fight without them. I imagine that hurts her arms pretty badly.

It's been a while since Daisy has had to wrap her hands.

She's leaning against the counter, one injured filled with gauze that she impatiently wraps her other hand. She grimaces at the pain. She's forgotten how much it hurts to do this.

"Hey," she hears a voice call out, "are you okay?"

She's got a scowl on her face, ready to lash out —

_ Oh_.

It's Sousa.

Her expression immediately softens. He walks up to her.

"I'm fine," she lies. "Just have to bandage these up."

"That looks painful," he states. She shrugs. "Using one hurt hand to bandage the other doesn't seem like the best idea."

"I'm used to it."

The look of concern he gives her nearly sends her reeling. It's been so long since —

"Shouldn't Agent Simmons be helping you?" Sousa asks.

Once again, Daisy shrugs. "She gave me the gauze. She's got other things to worry about. As I said, I'm used to it."

She inhales harshly through her teeth as she has to twist her hand uncomfortably to wrap the gauze around. Sousa is at her side in a second. He holds onto the gauze. "Let me help you."

Daisy hesitates for the briefest moment before nodding her head. He takes the gauze in one hand and takes her arm in the other. Her other hand falls limp on the counter.

He begins to methodically wrap the gauze around her hand, but pulls a little too tightly. She flinches and Sousa pauses. He grimaces, looking regretful.

After a second, he resumes, but more gently. "Sorry."

Daisy shakes her head softly. "No, no, it's okay. It's gonna hurt," she says softly, "but it's nicer when someone else does it."

Sousa continues to wrap the gauze around. His touch is incredibly careful. It makes Daisy smile the tiniest bit.

"These are some gnarly bruises," he tries.

Daisy raises her eyebrows and smiles with mirth. "Did you just say 'gnarly'?"

Sousa hangs his head. "I heard some people saying it. Getting used to the new slang. Did I use it wrong?"

Daisy bites her lips, holding in a laugh. "No, you used it right," she starts. "But I've got some bad news for you, soldier. That word faded out long ago."

" _Damn_."

She takes a minute to admire him as he continues to wrap her hands, enjoying the moment. She's not used to someone caring for her like this. She thinks she likes it. She certainly appreciates it. "Yeah, well, it looks pretty _gnarly_ because they're not just bruises. They're hairline fractures."

Sousa freezes completely. His wrapping work stops, his eyes staring at her face in shock. "W-what?"

Daisy suddenly realizes she's said something wrong. She's told him too much, too fast. He doesn't know about the toll of her powers. She sighs, resuming the gauze work herself. Sousa stops her, gently holding onto her hands. "How do you have hairline fractures in both your hands?"

It's mesmerizing — staring at where his hands are caressing her own, so tender. She swallows. He leans down, trying to look into her eyes, but she won't let him. She looks anywhere else. Anywhere but him. "My powers… I can be too powerful. And in order to control where the vibrations go, it has to be directed _somewhere_. I usually wear gauntlets. Simmons retrofitted them to be able to take the quakes."

"Malick said his bones were cracking," Sousa says. "I thought it was because… I don't know."

Daisy finally has the courage to look at Sousa. He looks _broken_. Broken for her. She laughs bitterly. "Don't worry too much, I'm used to it. I heal quick enough." She quickly pulls her hands away and turns around before the tears have a chance to well up in her eyes. She works on the gauze quickly and harshly. But it's only for the briefest second before —

"Hey, hey, _stop_. Let me do that." He jumps in front of Daisy and, once again, gently grasps her hands. It's just enough to get her to stop her frenzy. She looks into his eyes to see him gazing back at her, intense and —

He looks down at her hands and continues to wrap them. It's even softer than before, if that's possible. "You saved us all. Multiple times, actually. You deserve someone to take care of your injuries, at least."

And Daisy's suddenly overcome by memories. Emotions. Sousa's words remind her all too much of what he said in one of the loops.

_ You should have someone there to pick you back up. _

She almost nearly leans forward to kiss him right there, but stops herself. He doesn't remember the loops. He doesn't remember his own confession. He doesn't remember their kiss.

Instead, she settles for: "Thank you."

He switches hands.

Neither of them speak for the rest of the time he delicately takes care of her damaged hands. She silently watches him, trying hard not to replay the kiss over and over again in her head. She tries to block his words from her mind.

_ You should have someone there to pick you back up. _

The words repeat like a mantra in her head, no matter how hard she tries to stop it. She's never had someone who cared so blindly about her — not like that. S.H.I.E.L.D. was her family, but they needed her to run into those brick walls. They helped her with her injuries, but never so tenderly. It was always clinical. No one asked if she was okay, not really. And Lincoln —

_ Lincoln._

It hurts her to think about him. And the part that hurts the most, ironically, is the fact it doesn't hurt as much as it used to. The guilt has subsided. It's there, it will always be there, but it's not consuming her from the inside-out in the way that it used to. She's accepted it, accepted what happened. But Lincoln, while he loved her unconditionally, never was there for her in the way that Sousa had proven himself to be in just a few short weeks. He wanted to prevent her from running into those brick walls at all. Sousa, she knows, understands her enough to let her do what she needs to.

_ You should have someone there to pick you back up. _

She's brought back to reality when she feels the uncomfortable sensation of the gauze being tightly wound as a finish. Sousa is grimacing, knowing it must be painful, but she doesn't say anything. She doesn't even flinch this time.

He looks up at her carefully, gauging her reaction. She gives him the smallest of smiles and he smiles softly in return. He lifts both her hands to his mouth and presses a kiss to her exposed fingers. Her breath hitches and tingles run down her body. The look he sends her afterward renders her speechless.

"There, all done," Sousa says quietly. He lets go of her hands and takes an appropriate step back. "Next time you go running into those brick walls — "

"You'll pick me back up, I know."

And Daisy freezes.

Sousa clears his throat uncomfortably. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

Daisy shuts her eyes closed for a brief second, regretting all of her life decisions up until this moment. "Look, about that…"

She doesn't know how to finish that sentence.

"Did I say something about it during those loops?" he asks.

"Uh, yeah. Something like that," Daisy replies. Sousa nods, understanding. "We had a whole conversation, actually."

He raises an eyebrow. "Going to tell me about it?"

She hesitates. "I kind of meant to sooner. I just… I didn't know how."

"Well, that's understandable. How do you bring up a conversation that happened in a time loop that no one except you can remember?"

Daisy smiles. Everything rolls off his back so well. She bites her lip. "You see, that's exactly it. Every time loop, you would just do whatever I said, without any hesitation." She debates her next words carefully. "Every time I ask you for help, you say yes. Even if I don't ask, you're making sure I'm okay. Making sure I rest or wrapping my hands or whatever. Why?"

Sousa looks at her carefully. "Did I not tell you before?"

"Just answer it. I'm trying to replicate the conversation, here. Be honest."

He nods subtly. His eyes flicker down to the floor, then back to her eyes. "Honest?" He steps just the tiniest bit forward. "I know your type."

Her stomach drops, feeling a very specific déjà vu. She swallows. "My what?"

Sousa smiles. He begins to say, "I know people like you. Some of my favorite people are people like you. Focused on the greater good, even at your own expense. You want people to think you like being alone, even though you alway send up back with friends. You hate losing."

Daisy knows she's supposed to say something here, but she can't bring herself to speak. Her heart is caught in her throat.

So, Sousa continues. "You'll keep running at the problem full-tilt until you either solve it or slam headlong into a brick wall. And, I'm guessing this is where I say you should have someone to pick you back up."

Ad Daisy can't help herself anymore. She lunges forward and presses her lips onto his, her hands on his face. She pities how the gauze doesn't let her feel him as much, but she revels in how her fingertips dance across his skin. She doesn't pull back this time — she knows how he'll pull her back if she does anyway — and she just lets herself get lost in the kiss. It takes only a couple seconds for his arms to pull at her waist, deepening the kiss. They're melting into one another and it's the most wonderful feeling she's felt in a long time.

He pulls away just the tiniest bit, just so that their lips aren't touching anymore. "Was that also a part of our 'conversation'?" he asks, voice deeper than usual.

"No," she responds. "That was another loop." He pulls back a little further, expression full of questions. "You told me that you wanted to be that someone for me. And that I was fun to be around and that you thought my superpowers were impressive."

"Well, they're certainly less nice now that I see how much they hurt you." Daisy sends him a pointed look. Sousa clears his throat. "But, yes, they're still impressive."

"The next loop, I asked you to do something for me and you just… Immediately jumped up and asked what I needed. So…"

She leans forward and kisses him again. It's soft, just a short peck. She pulls away, but he immediately pulls her back in. It's just like before and it makes her heart sing. He finally pulls away. She lets her hands fall onto his chest and he brings his own hands to hold them. His smile is warm.

"That was nice," she whispers.

Sousa nods. His hands trace up her arms and make their way to her face. He delicately moves the hair out of her face and kisses her softly once more. Then, he kisses her forehead. Then, his hands hold hers and he kisses her fingertips again.

"Your hands are okay?" he asks.

"Yeah," she responds after a moment. "They're perfect."

Her hands most certainly aren't perfect, but that's fine. It wasn't really what she was referring to.

**Author's Note:**

> I have so many ideas spinning in my head with these two... Please stop me... Save me...


End file.
